$200,000 challenge made to help Crisis Assistance Ministry

People in line outside Crisis Assistance Ministry early Tuesday morning, April 07, 2015. Leaders from CPI Security and business investments Babson Capital have each promised to donate $50,000 creating a challenge pool of $200,000 to match dollar-for-dollar donations to Crisis Assistance Ministry from now until April 16th.
Davie Hinshaw
dhinshaw@charlotteobserver.com

People in line outside Crisis Assistance Ministry early Tuesday morning, April 07, 2015. Leaders from CPI Security and business investments Babson Capital have each promised to donate $50,000 creating a challenge pool of $200,000 to match dollar-for-dollar donations to Crisis Assistance Ministry from now until April 16th.
Davie Hinshaw
dhinshaw@charlotteobserver.com

Crisis Assistance Ministry could receive up to $400,000 for its mission to prevent homelessness if it successfully matches a grant challenge issued by four Charlotte couples.

The four have pooled $200,000 and are pledging to use it to match $200,000 in community donations for Crisis Assistance through April 16. Crisis Assistance representatives say they have raised more than half of the overall goal since the campaign started last month.

The couples who contributed $50,000 each to launch the campaign are: Carol and Peter Budko, Tom and Heather Finke, Ken and Malinda Gill, and Brent and Claire Trexler. They say their goal is to help the hundreds of people in Charlotte each month who face eviction because of a shortage of rent money.

Crisis Assistance offers short-term rental assistance to people who are about to be evicted because they can’t pay the rent, and also helps those who are about to have utilities disconnected. Plus, the agency operates a free store and furniture bank for low-income people.

Sign Up and Save

“The investment these four families are making in the well-being of struggling neighbors is inspirational,” said Carol Hardison, chief executive officer of Crisis Assistance Ministry, in a statement. “This community can’t afford any more children going to school without a safe night’s sleep and ready to learn. These leaders are setting the example of the kind of leadership and citizenship that makes Charlotte-Mecklenburg such a great community.”

The couples involved in the campaign all have strong ties to Charlotte: Tom Finke is chairman and CEO of Babson Capital; Ken Gill is CEO and owner of CPI Security; the Trexlers are with the Trexler Foundation; and Peter Budko is chairman and CEO of Business Development Corporation of America.

In the last fiscal year, Crisis Assistance Ministry served more than 63,207 people in the community with its programs.